Sanding device.



PATENTED JUNE 30, 1908.' T. T. VEST. SANDIN'G DEVICE.

APPLmATIoN Hmm 00T 4 1907 s sums-snm 1.

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No. 892,198. PATBNTED JUNE 30, 1908.v

T. T. VEST.

. SANDING DEVICE.` APPLICATION FILED 00T. 4. 1907 8 BEBETBfSHEBT 2.

T. TQ VEST. SANDING. DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED 00T. 4,1907.`

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Lwnloz 772 vom 26T/fest. witnnoao V @Manny THOMAS TH-EODORE VEST, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

SANDING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 30, 1908.

Application led October 4, 1907. Serial No. 395,964.

To all lwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS THEODORE VEST, a citizen of the United States, residing at Richmond, in the county of Henrico and State of Virginia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Sanding Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a device for sanding railroad tracks and is especially designed for the purpose of applying sand to curved portions of the track.

The device is especially adapted for use upon electric lines, upon street railways and lines where short curves are frequently found and it is often necessary to bring a car to a stop upon such curves.

The sanding device in common use fails to supply the sand to the rails upon a sharp curve owing to the rigidity of the discharge spout.

The invention consists in a sanding device in which the flow of sand is automatically cut oif upon removal of pressure for the purpose of opening the sand hopper, thus preventing waste of sand and also consists in a discharge spout flexibly connected to the sand hopper and to the car truck so that the said discharge spout follows automatically the curvature of the rails.

The invention consists also in the novel features of construction hereinafter fully described, pointed out in the claims and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a sectional view through a portion of a car showing the manner of applying my device thereto. Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the device, the car body being removed and the wheel truck and wheels being broken away. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view through the hopper and the flexible connection between said hopper and the discharge spout. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the hopper removed from the car. Fig. 5 is a detail elevation illustrating a slight modilication.

In these drawings 1 represents a car` truck and 2 represents a sand hopper which is referably connected to the under side o the car immediately above and in advance of the front truck. This hopper is divided into upper and lower ortions by a transverse partition 3 provi ed with a suitable central opening which is surrounded by a groove 4 formed in the upper face of the partition 3. A cone shaped gravity valve 5 has a flanged base 6, the flange fitting said groove 4 and effectually cutting ofll flow of sand from the upper portion of the hopper to the lower portion. The lower portion terminates in a discharge neck 7 which carries outwardly extendinfT arms 8. A coupling member 9 is provided with outwardly extending arms 10 and an innerside memberl is slidably held rigid by an extension 11 which is connected to the neck 7 by a flexible hose lsection 12. Springs 13 connect the arms 8 and 10. The arms 10 are connected also by a spring 14 to the side bars of the truck 1. A discharge spout 15 curving rearwardly towards the wheels is carried by the lower end of the coupler 9 and discharges sand directly upon the rail. The flange 6 is provided with a ouide stem 16 which works through a bracket 17 carried by the hopper 2 and the flange can be adjusted upon said stem and is held in its adjusted position by a set screw 18. The lower end of the stem 16 is pivotally connected to the inner end of a pivoted lever 20, the outer end of said lever terminating in a slotted plate 21. A lever 22 is pivotally connected to the plate and rests across the slot that is provided with a suitable pin 22u which works in the slot. The lever 22 is rocked by a rod 23 which is provided with a blunt end bearing on the lever 22, and is also pivotally connected to a rocker arm 24. The construction described up to this point is duplicated upon opposite sides of the car.

The two rocker arms 24 are connected by a rock shaft 26 which has a central cranked portion 27 to which is pivotally connected an operating rod 28 also pivotally connected to a double bell crank lever 29 the upwardly rojecting portion 30 ofwhich serves as a foot rod, and when depressed by 'foot actuates the mechanism above described, lifting the valve 5 and permitting sand to run from the upper to the lower part of the hopper. The springs 13 will hold the discharge spout 15 coupled to the neck 7. As the springs 14 are also connected to the truck 1, the

spout will swine with the turning of said has been passed. Sand boxes are preferably arranged in the end of the car in the form of box seats.

What I claim is l. The combination with a sand hopper, of a discharge spout, a coupling member to which the discharge spout is secured, springs connecting said coupling member. to the hopper, springs connecting said coupling member to the truck of a car, said coupling member consisting of telescopic portions, and a flexible hose connection between the hopper and said coupling member.

. 2. The combination with a hopper having a neck portion, a coupling member carrying a discharge spout, a sliding member held in the coupling member, a iiexible connection, and springs connecting said coupling member to the hopper.

3. The combination with a sand hopper, a

discharge spout consisting of a rigid coupling member and a rearwardly extending curved member, and extensible partly flexible connection between the coupling member and the hopper, springs connecting the rigid portion of the coupler to a car truck.

4. In a sanding device, a hopper, means for regulating i'low of sand from said hopper, a discharge spout, a coupler consisting of telescopic sections, the discharge spout being connected to one of said sections, springs connecting the said section to the hopper and a ilexible hose connection between the hopper and the other section.

5. A. device of the kind described comprising a hopper, divided into upper and lower portions by a horizontal partition having an opening therein,'a groove on its upper face, said groove surrounding the opening, a gravity valve having a flange iitting said groove, a guide stem passing through said valve, means for locking the valve to the stem, said valve being adjustable u on the stem, means for lifting the stem, a ischarge spout and flexible means for connecting said spoutl to the hopper and to a car truck.

rTHOMAS THEODORE VEST.

Witnesses:

J. M. MACON, Jr., ANDREW WELSH. 

